18621871] JOHN SCOTT 325 



cowslips which produced least seed, to test the fertility of the Letter 648 

 quasi-hybrid seedlings. Gartner found the common primrose 

 and cowslip very difficult to cross, but he knew nothing on 

 dimorphism. I am sorry about delay [of] your orchid paper; 

 I should be glad of abstract of your new observations of self- 

 sterility in orchids, as I should probably use the new facts. 

 There will be an important paper in September in Annals 

 and Magazine of Natural History, on ovules of orchids being 

 formed months after application of pollen, by Dr. F. Hildebrand 

 of Bonn. 1 



T J- Scott Letter 649 



Down, Nov. yth [1863]. 



Every day that I could do anything, I have read a few 

 pages of your paper, 2 and have now finished it, and return it 

 registered. It has interested me deeply, and is, I am sure, 

 an excellent memoir. It is well arranged, and in most parts 

 well written. In the proof sheets you can correct a little 

 with advantage. I have suggested a few alterations in 

 pencil for your consideration, and have put in here and there 

 a slip of paper. There will be no occasion to rewrite the 

 paper only, if you agree with me, to alter a few pages. 

 When finished, return it to me, and I will with the highest 

 satisfaction communicate it to the Linnean Society. I should 

 be proud to be the author of the paper. I shall not have 

 caused much delay, as the first meeting of the Society was 

 on November 5th. When your Primula paper is finished, if 

 you are so inclined, I should like to hear briefly about your 

 Verbascum and Passi flora experiments. I tried Verbascum, 

 and have got the pods, but do not know when I shall be able 

 to see to the results. This subject might make another paper 

 for you. I may add that Acropera luteola was fertilised by 

 me, and had produced two fine pods. I congratulate you on 

 your excellent paper. 



P.S. In the summary to Primula paper can you con- 

 jecture what is the typical or parental form, i.e. equal, long 

 or short styled ? 



1 Ann. Mag. Nat. Hist., XII., 1863, p. 169. The paper was after- 

 wards published in the Bot. Zeitung, 1863. 



2 This refers to the MS. of Scott's paper on the Primulaceae, Linn. 

 Soc. Journ., VIII. [Feb. 4th, 1864] 1865. 



